Method and device to increase the voltage of a direct current voltage source



Nov. 8, 1966 J. LIM 3,284,693

METHOD AND DEVICE TO INCREASE THE VOLTAGE OF A DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE Filed May 10, 1963 INVENTOR.

JAMES L/M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,284,693 METHOD AND DEVICE TO INCREASE THE VOLT- AGE OF A DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE James Lim, 1221 E. 12th St, Oakland, Calif. Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. No. 279,507 2 Claims. (Cl. 322-2 This invention relates to a method and device to increase the voltage of a direct current voltage source.

The primary object of this invention is to increase the electromotive potential of direct current voltage by varying the dielectric constant between two or more opposing conductors.

Particularly it is an object of the invention to increase the voltage of a direct current voltage source by successfully charging opposing conductors with the direct current voltage source while the opposing conductors are separated by a dielectric of higher dielectric constant, and discharging the charged conductors while they are separated by dielectric of a lower dielectric constant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of opposed sets of conductor elements, the respective conductor elements in each set being insulated from one another, and providing in the electric field between the sets of conductors dielectrics, the dielectric constant of one being higher than that of the other, and successively connecting each registering pair of conductor elements to the respective terminals of a direct current source while said connected pair of elements registers with the dielectric of higher dielectric constant, and connecting each pair of charged conductor element to a discharge circuit while said charged elements are separated by the dielectric of lower dielectric constant, thereby to increase the voltage of the direct current source; several such sets being connectable in series for further increasing the voltage, or in parallel for increasing the current.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for the illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is -a diagrammatic view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic detail view of a dielectric plate in semi-circular outline used when the other dielectric is gaseous or liquid.

One well known equation on which this invention is predicated is as follows:

Vou Vi for the same amount of charge where V means the discharge voltage, V means the voltage of the current source, C is the capacity at the charge and C is the capacity at the discharge.

Another well known basic equation is as follows:

where C=capacitance, k=constant, D=dielectric constant, A=area of conductor surface and d=separation between conductors.

3,284,693 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 In the herein invention the problem is solved by varying the dielectric constants of dilferent dielectrics between adjacent opposite conductors, -and by providing opposing sets of conductors, each set containing a plurality of conductor elements insulated from one another, and then by successively charging the opposing conductor elements with direct current voltage source while they are separated by a dielectric or dielectrics of high dielectric constant, and discharging the charged opposing conductor elements while separated by a dielectric or dielectrics of lower dielectric constant, which will result in increased voltage.

In detail the method includes the steps of intermittently charging opposing conductors with direct current voltage source, and discharging said conductors between each charging; and separating the Opposing conductors selectively by dielectrics of different dielectric constants so that while the opposing conductors are charged they are separated by a dielectric of higher dielectric constant, and while the opposing conductors are discharged they are separated by a dielectric of lower dielectric constant.

The varying of the dielectric constants can be accomplished by moving the conductors from a charging zone to a discharging zone relatively to the dielectrics which respectively are of higher dielectric constant at the charge zone than at the discharge zone. This varying could be -,also accomplished by movement or charge of the dielectrics between stationary conductors so that a dielectric of :higher dielectric constant i in the electric field between the conductors during charging and is changed to a dielectric Of lower dielectric resistance during discharge.

In the herein illustration the spaced sets of conductors 1 and 2 rotate about the same axis on a shaft 3 suitably driven, for instance by a motor M. Each set includes a plurality of, in this instance three conductor elements 4. held together in a disk shape by an Y-shaped insulator 5 which insulates the conductor elements or segments 4 from one another. The sets 1 and 2 are so mounted on the shaft 3 that the respective conductor elements 4 register in aim and are rotated together by the shaft 3.

Between the spaced pair of conductor sets 1 and 2 is a stationary dielectric 6, through which the shaft 3 rotatably extends in any suitable manner. The dielectric 6 is divided in two halves. The lower half A is a dielectric of higher dielectric constant than dielectric constant of the upper half B.

Charging brush contacts 7 connect, the peripheries of the conductor elements or segments 4 successively and intermittently to the respective terminals of a direct current source, indicated by a suitable battery 8, so as to charge opposing conductor elements or segments 4 in the charging zone of their rotation.

Discharging or output brush contacts 9 engage the peripheries of the charged pair of conductor elements or segments 4 in the upper half or the discharge zone of their rotation.

An example of suitable dielectrics of different dielectric constants, is barium titanate for the lower half B, and mica for the upper half A, thus resulting in higher dielectric constant in the charging zone than in the discharge zone.

Another example is shown in FIG. 2 in which case the solid dielectric 10 is made of rubber of a dielectric constant of about 2.0 and forms the dielectric in the discharge zone. The lower dielectric in this instant is a liquid dielectric having suitably larger dielectric constant than 2.0, and the rotating segments 4 are immersed in such liquid dielectrics in the charging zone.

' The dielectric may be also composite formed in such a manner that its dielectric constant can be varied in synchronism with the intermittent alternate charging and discharging of conductors. Such dielectric would be particularly advantageous where the conductors are not movable and the imput and output is suitably rendered intermittent and alternate synchronized with the corresponding varying of the dielectric.

of segments of graduated different dielectric constants,

so as to vary the dielectric constant gradually and prevent electrical breakdown of the dielectric in case ofhigh voltage applications, taking into consideration that generally the dielectric strength of a dielectric is substantially inversely proportional to its dielectric constant.

I claim: 1. In a device for increasing the voltage of a direct current voltage source,

(a) a spaced pair of sets of conductors (b) a plurality of conductors in each set being insulated from one another (c) dielectric means between said sets of conductors so as to separate said sets of conductors (d) means to impart a charge of direct current to said conductors (e) means to discharge said conductors (f) means to render said charge and discharge intermittent (g) and means to vary said dielectric means to higher dielectric constant at the charging of said conductors and to lower dielectric constant at said discharg ing, thereby to increase the voltage from said direct current voltage source.

2. In a device for increasing the voltage from a direct current voltage source (a) a spaced pair of rotatable sets of conductors (b) a plurality of conductor elements insulated from one another in each set (c) theconductors of one set being opposite to the respective conductors of the other set ((1) means to connect said direct current source to each pair of opposed conductors in a charging zone oftheir rotation for charging said pair of conductors (e) means to connect each pair of conductors to a discharge circuit in a discharging zone of their rotation for discharging said pair of electrodes (f) dielectric separator means between said pairs of sets of conductors (g) the dielectric constant of said dielectric means between said conductors at said charging zone being higher than the dielectric constant of said dielectric means at said discharging zone, thereby to increase the voltage from said direct current voltage source,

(h) and means to rotate said pairs of sets of conductors in synchronism.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,480,187 8/1949 Gamertsfelder 317-249 X 2,499,634 3/ 1950 Ehlers et al. 317-4249 2,534,505 12/1950 Ergen 317--249 X 2,610,994 9/1952 Bosch et al. 310-6 3,205,417 9/1965 Maeda 317249 MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner.

J. I. SWARTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE VOLTAGE OF A DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE, (A) A SPACED PAIR OF SETS OF CONDUCTORS (B) A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTORS IN EACH SET BEING INSULATED FROM ONE ANOTHER (C) DIELECTRIC MEANS BETWEEN SAID SETS OF CONDUCTORS SO AS TO SEPARATE SAID SETS OF CONDUCTORS (D) MEANS TO IMPART A CHANGE OF DIRECT CURRENT TO SAID CONDUCTORS (E) MEANS TO DISCHARGE SAID CONDUCTORS (F) MEANS TO RENDER SAID CHARGE AND DISCHARGE INTERMITTENT (G) AND MEANS TO VARY SAID DIELECTRIC MEANS TO HIGHER DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AT THE CHANGING OF SAID CONDUCTORS AND TO LOWER DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AT SAID DISCHARGING, THEREBY TO INCREASE THE VOLTAGE FROM SAID DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE. 